Separable carton



23, 1954 B. H. LENGSFIELD, JR 3,142,378

SEPARABLE CARTON Filed Jan. 14, 1963 "v""w""wki'kv' BYRON H. LENGS'F/ELD, we

I BY

- flwmwmmm ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,142,378 SEPARABLE CARTON Byron H. Lengsfield, Jr., P.(). Box 854, Devon, Pa. Filed Jan. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 251,375 4 Claims. (Cl. 20665) This invention relates to separable cartons and more particularly to a carton provided with a weakened separation line at which it can be separated into two or more parts, each of which parts is capable of retaining one or more articles.

In the marketing of various types of goods it becomes desirable to provide a relatively large carton holding a number of articles and which can be separated into two or more parts, each of which is capable of holding one or more articles. Such cartons require that article retaining means be provided on opposite sides of the separation line so that the articles will be retained in the individual carton parts when they are separated.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a separable carton in which article retaining means are provided in the carton onopposite sides of the line of separation thereof without requiring any additional material and with a minimum of additional forming and erecting operations.

According to a feature of the invention the article retaining means are formed by a pair of generally triangular webs preferably cut out from the bottom and side walls of the carton and foldably joined thereto and to each other. One of the triangular webs folds over against the wall to which it is joined to hold the other web in an extended position in which it will engage an adjacent article and hold it in the carton.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a filled separable carton embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the carton separated into two parts; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the blank from which the carton is formed.

, The carton as shown is adapted to hold twelve bottles of a type in which beverages of various sorts are commonly merchandised in two rows of six each and is "adapted to be separated centrally of its length into two carton parts, each of which contains six bottles. The particular type of carton structure and the particular articles shown in the drawing are illustrative of a number of different types and sizes of articles which can be packaged in the carton of the invention, it being understood that substantially any desired type and any desired number of articles can be packaged in said such cartons.

The carton is formed of a unitary blank of paperboard or the like, as shown in FIGURE 3. The blank is cut and scored and perforated to form two side-by-side sections, one of which is indicated generally at and the other of which is indicated generally at 11. The two sections are connected to each other at a separation line 12, which is shown as a line of perforations along which the parts of the carton can readily be separated when and as desired. Each of the parts is constituted by a bottom panel 13 of a size to receive and support the bottoms of six bottles as shown at 14, or of a desired number of other articles to be packaged. The bottom 13 of each section is foldably joined to side panels 15, each side panel being separated into two sections by a fold line 16 to facilitate erection and filling of the carton. At its upper end each of the side panels is foldably joined to a gable panel 17 which is in turn foldably joined to a top panel 18. The gable panels are preferably cut out at their upper edges as shown at 19 to provide side openings in the top part of the carton through which the tops of the bottles may partially project so that the tops of the bottles will be held against longitudinal movement in the carton. The top panels 18 are adapted to overlie each other in the completed carton as shown and are formed with integrally cut out retaining flaps 21 which may be forced into the carton as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 to provide finger openings and to hold the overlapping top portions of the carton together. It will be understood that if desired the top carton panels could be glued or secured together in some manner other than by the retaining flaps 21, this portion of the carton per se forming no part of the present invention.

When the carton is erected the side walls are folded up to project at right angles from the bottom walls 13, and the gable walls and top walls are folded towards each other as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 to enclose the bottles 14 or similar articles to be packaged. In the completed carton as seen in FIGURE 1, the separation line 12 will lie intermediate the ends of the carton and between two adjacent articles in the rows of articles extending lengthwise of the carton.

The articles are retained in the carton against endwise removal therefrom at both ends of the carton and at opposite sides of the sepaartion line 12 positioned to engage the articles adjacent to the separation line. While the retaining means at the ends and at the central portion of the carton need not necessarily be identical, they are shown as being identical for convenience.

Each of the separation means comprises a pair of generally triangular webs 22 and 23 cut out along one side from the material of the bottom and side walls of the carton and left foldably joined to the bottom and side walls respectively along fold lines 24 and 25. The webs 22 and 23 are foldably joined to each other along a fold line 26 which registers with the fold line 27 between the bottom wall of the carton and the adjacent side Wall. When the side walls are folded up relative to the bottom wall and with the triangular webs 22 and 23 remaining in the planes of the bottom and side walls respectively, the fold line 26 of each retaining means will coincide with the adjacent fold line 27 between the bottom and side walls.

To retain the articles in the carton the triangular webs 22 are folded out along the fold lines 24 into overlying relationship with the bottom wall of the carton. It will be noted that the fold line 25 is generally parallel to the separation line 12 and to the ends of the carton and that the fold line 24 is at an acute angle to the separation line and the ends of the carton. Therefore, when the web 22 is folded over flat against the bottom wall 13, the web 23 of each retaining means will be held in an extended position substantially at right angles to the bottom wall of the carton and at an acute angle to the adjacent side wall. In this position the webs 23 extend partially across the open carton and engage the adjacent articles in the carton to hold them against endwise displacement therein.

It will be seen that in a double carton of the type shown there are eight retaining means, all of which are identically formed, two of which lie at each end of the carton and two of which lie on each side of the separation line 12. It will further be seen that the retaining means require no extra material other than that normally required to form the basic carton itself, and that they are easily erected as the carton is erected. In the filled carton the bottoms of the articles will rest on the webs 22 to hold them against the bottom of the carton so that no additional fastening means is required.

With the complete carton filled as shown in FIGURE 1 the filled cartons may be transported and displayed in any desired way. If it is desired to separate the carton into two parts as shown in FIGURE 2 for sale of a portion only of the contents, the carton may easily be torn apart along the perforated separation line 12 or may be cut along the separation line as desired. With the carton parts separated as shown in FIGURE 2, the articles contained in each part of the carton will be properly retained in position therein by the retaining means at the original ends of the carton and by the additional retaining means provided adjacent to and on opposite sides of the separation line. To construction, therefore, lends itself to the provision of separable cartons which may be separated into two or more parts, with each part holding a desired number of articles.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that this is illustrative only and is not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A separable carton in combination with a plurality of articles arranged side by side in at least one row comprising a sleeve of sheet material having bottom, side and top walls foldably joined together at angles to each other and encircling the row of articles, article retaining means at the ends of the sleeve engaging end articles in the row to hold the articles in the sleeve, the walls being formed with a weakened separation line between two adjacent articles in the row at which the sleeve can be separated into two parts, and article retaining means on opposite sides of the separation line to retain the articles in each of the parts when they are separated, each of the last named article retaining means comprising a pair of generally triangular web members foldably connected to adjacent walls and foldably connected to each other by a fold line coincident with the fold line between said adjacent walls when the web members are in the planes of the respective walls, one of the web members being joined to one of the walls by a fold line spaced from and generally parallel to said separation line and the other web member being joined to the other Wall by a fold line at an acute angle to the separation line, said last two named fold lines meeting at the fold line between the adjacent walls, the last named Web member being folded over against the wall to which it is joined and holding the first named web mem ber in an extended position in engagement with the adjacent article.

2. The separable carton of claim 1 in which the triangular web members are cut out at one side thereof from the sheet material of the respective adjacent Walls and are left integrally foldably joined to the walls at another side.

3. A separable carton comprising a sleeve of sheet material having bottom, side and top walls foldably joined together, a row of articles supported on the bottom wall and confined by the side and top walls, article retaining means at the ends of the sleeve to hold the articles therein, the walls being formed with a weakened separation line between adjacent articles along which the sleeve can be separated into two parts, and article retaining means on opposite sides of the separation line to retain the articles in the parts when they are separated, the last named article retaining means comprising a pair of generally triangular webs foldably joined to the bottom and side walls respectively along fold lines at an obtuse angle to each other and meeting at the fold line between the bottom and side walls, the webs being foldably joined to each other by a fold line coincident with the fold line between the bottom and side walls when the web members are in the planes of the bottom and side walls respectively, one of the webs being folded over against the wall to which it is joined and holding the other web in extended position in engagement with the adjacent article.

4. A separable carton comprising a sleeve of sheet material having bottom, side and top walls foldably joined together, a row of articles supported on the bottom wall and confined by the side and top walls, article retaining means at the ends of the sleeve to hold the articles therein, the walls being formed with a weakened separation line between adjacent articles along which the sleeve can be separated into two parts, and article retaining means on opposite sides of the separation line to retain the articles in the parts when they are separated, the last named article retaining means comprising a pair of generally triangular webs foldably joined to the bottom and side walls respectively along fold lines at an obtuse angle to each other and meeting at the fold line between the bottom and side walls, the webs being foldably joined to each other by a fold line coincident with the fold line between the bottom and side walls when the web members are in the planes of the bottom and side Walls respectively, the web joined to the bottom wall being folded over against the bottom wall beneath the bottom of the adjacent article and the web joined to the side wall being held in extended position in engagement with the side of the adjacent article.

1* References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,654,474 Ringler Oct. 6, 1953 2,888,132 Guyer May 26, 1959 3,029,999 De Paul Apr. 17, 1962 3,032,185 Ellis et a1. May 1, 1962 

1. A SEPARABLE CARTON IN COMBINATION WITH A PLURALITY OF ARTICLES ARRANGED SIDE BY SIDE IN AT LEAST ONE ROW COMPRISING A SLEEVE OF SHEET MATERIAL HAVING BOTTOM, SIDE AND TOP WALLS FOLDABLY JOINED TOGETHER AT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER AND ENCIRCLING THE ROW OF ARTICLES, ARTICLE RETAINING MEANS AT THE ENDS OF THE SLEEVE ENGAGING END ARTICLES IN THE ROW TO HOLD THE ARTICLES IN THE SLEEVE, THE WALLS BEING FORMED WITH A WEAKENED SEPARATION LINE BETWEEN TWO ADJACENT ARTICLES IN THE ROW AT WHICH THE SLEEVE CAN BE SEPARATED INTO TWO PARTS, AND ARTICLE RETAINING MEANS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SEPARATION LINE TO RETAIN THE ARTICLES IN EACH OF THE PARTS WHEN THEY ARE SEPARATED, EACH OF THE LAST NAMED ARTICLE RETAINING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF GENERALLY TRIANGULAR WEB MEMBERS FOLDABLY CONNECTED TO ADJACENT WALLS AND FOLDABLY CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER BY A FOLD LINE COINCIDENT WITH THE FOLD LINE BETWEEN SAID ADJACENT WALLS WHEN THE WEB MEMBERS ARE IN THE PLANES OF THE RESPECTIVE WALLS, ONE OF THE WEB MEMBERS BEING JOINED TO ONE OF THE WALLS BY A FOLD LINE SPACED FROM AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SEPARATION LINE AND THE OTHER WEB MEMBER BEING JOINED TO THE OTHER WALL BY A FOLD LINE AT AN ACUTE ANGLE TO THE SEPARATION LINE, SAID LAST TWO NAMED FOLD LINES MEETING AT THE FOLD LINE BETWEEN THE ADJACENT WALLS, THE LAST NAMED WEB MEMBER BEING FOLDED OVER AGAINST THE WALL TO WHICH IT IS JOINED AND HOLDING THE FIRST NAMED WEB MEMBER IN AN EXTENDED POSITION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ADJACENT ARTICLE. 